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Inside a Missouri Dog Auction

February 12, 2008, 12:28PM MT

By Kelli Ohrtman

Rescue groups attend an auction, over 100 dogs get out of the breeding business and into homes

Rescue groups attend an auction, over 100 dogs get out of the breeding business and into homes

The mission of Best Friends Animal Society is to work at solving America’s homeless pet problem. To this end, we have identified four key factors that contribute to the millions of pets being euthanized in shelters. One of those factors is the mass breeding of pets. While 3-4 million animals die in shelters each year because no one adopts them, we feel it is inappropriate to breed more, especially when done on a large scale. This is the first in a series of stories that will bring to light some of the issues surrounding large-scale suppliers of purebred and “designer” dogs.

Last weekend, two groups of rescuers loaded up two vans with as many crates as possible and headed East, from Colorado and Utah, to the heart of dog breeding country. An auction house in Southwest Missouri was scheduled to hold its first sale of the year, with over 600 dogs to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, and the rescuers planned to make sure that it wouldn’t be just breeders present—they’d be there too.

One may ask why animal welfare groups are attending dog auctions when there are plenty of homeless animals to go around. Good question. But there’s a surprising phenomenon happening in the commercial dog breeding (a.k.a. puppy mill) industry these days. While some dogs sell for hundreds, even thousands of dollars at auction, some stand there on the table while the auctioneer entices the crowd to start the bid, and no one does. It happens to puppies “too old” for pet stores (any puppy over eight weeks is past his or her prime), and dogs nearing the end of their breeding lives at five to six years old. When the auctioneer shouts “will anyone take this dog for a ten dollar bill?” (enough to cover the consignment fee), rescuers want to be there to hold up their bid card and get that dog out.

And so, as abhorrent as the idea is of traveling cross country to watch 600 dogs being treated solely as money-making machines, last weekend two groups, Mill Dog Rescue Network (MDRN) of Colorado Springs and Wasatch Animal Rescue of Salt Lake City made the trip so they could be there as a safety net for the dogs that breeders didn’t want. Like the five-month old Welsh Corgi puppies that MDRN bought at an auction last year. For a quarter.

Auction, Day One

The way an auction works is that breeders choose dogs that they no longer want, whether they’re selling out of a particular breed, or have too many of a certain type, or have decided to go out of the dog breeding business all together. This auction catalogue was filled with one breeder’s entire stock, plus hundreds of consigned dogs from twenty-eight other breeders. By nine o’clock on the first day of the sale, rescuers from the two groups were walking through the auction house’s holding facility to look at the dogs that would be crossing the auction block that day.

Hundreds of small-breed dogs sat in black wire cages stacked two high, while dozens of large breeds filled three rows of cement and chain link runs. Some dogs bounced around their cages, yapping at one another and the people walking by. Others huddled together, shivering while people stared at them and marked their auction catalogue with notes.

The designated bidders from each rescue group made careful notes, marking the dogs that looked the most pathetic. The catalogue description for two female Boston terriers, numbers 43 and 44 in the catalogue read, “APRI Reg[istered]. Color: Black & White – She is an excellent mother. Has a weakness for vaginal prolapse. Breed Sellout!” Number 43 had large “udders” hanging down, filled with milk for puppies that were nowhere to be seen. The Utah volunteer made marks next to 42 and 43 in the catalogue; these were two dogs that she felt should not continue to be bred if their reproductive parts were prone to falling out of their bodies. And then she kept moving, not wanting to get attached to any one dog in case she couldn’t get him or her. That’s the thing about dogs at an auction—just like animals in shelters; you can’t save them all.

Let the Bidding Begin
The sale began with kennel equipment; from wire stack cages to carpet squares, bowls and medications—everything a breeder needs to run a commercial kennel. The auctioneers worked as a team, with one man calling out to the audience and two more watching the crowd and shouting when a bid was placed. By ten o’clock the building was full to standing room only, smelling like an ashtray as bidders and auctioneers lit up cigarette after cigarette.

And then the Lhasa Apsos were brought out.

Pre-teen kids walked from the holding area, each carrying a long-haired dog and placing her on the table. The auctioneer took a moment to talk up the dogs, stating that these are the best quality Lhasas out there, that their quality speaks for itself. The catalogue read: “All of seller #1 Lhasa’s is show prospects!” Twenty minutes later, sixteen Lhasa Apsos and $2,165 had changed hands. Three were pulled from the sale when the bids only reached $410 for “champion sired” puppies. The seller wouldn’t take less than $500, and the dogs were whisked back to the holding area.

And the day went on like this until all 287 dogs scheduled for that day had been put up for sale. A few (two Boston terriers, a Dachshund, a Shar Pei mix) sold for as little as twenty five dollars, while the top-grossing dog was a Norwich Terrier sold for $1,500. The Wasatch Animal Rescue bidder got the two Boston terriers on her list for $95—about the same amount the group pays to get dogs out of shelters.

“The Money’s On”
It was apparent from early on that the name of the game at dog auctions is one thing: money. All one has to do is listen to the auctioneers’ sales pitches to entice breeders to bid. Throughout the two-day sale, the auctioneers shouted things like:

“She’s ready to go home and go to work for you”
“The Easter market is just as good as Christmas”
“These are ’07 models—they’ve got their whole lives in front of ‘em”
“She’s in season; we’ve got dogs in season on the table”
“Hold her up, let ‘em see her belly”
“This one’s bred to a poodle”
“These go for $1,500 to $2,000 on the internet”
“Poodles will breed up to thirteen, fourteen years and do a good job”
“She’s coming into season now; bring her home and breed her tomorrow”

Auctioneers disclosed that certain dogs had c-section scars, missing teeth, a “cloudy” eye, but none of these things stopped breeders from buying them. In fact, a dog’s maladies didn’t seem to matter as much as how soon she might have puppies next. When a group of dogs was placed on the table and a breeder won the bid, often they’d ask, “Which one did you say is showin’ a belly? I’ll take that one.”

The Back Door: Breeder “Dump Dogs”
As the auction progressed and dogs fetched prices much higher than the two rescue groups anticipated, other life-saving deals were taking place. While some unwanted dogs are sent to auction to squeeze a bit of money out of them, others never make it there. These are what some call “breeder dump dogs.” While the bidding continued inside the auction house, vans were pulling up behind the building with dogs who weren’t part of the sale that day.

Even stranger than the phenomenon of dogs selling for next to nothing at auction are the dogs that breeders don’t want anymore and don’t bother to try and sell. One “insider” takes those calls and networks with rescue groups throughout the country to find placement for dogs that are “too old” to sell as puppies, or are unable to breed anymore. Last year, this anonymous insider placed over 3,500 breeder “dump” dogs in rescue. Last weekend, she helped fill the Utah and Colorado vans with over 100 dogs that breeders from around Missouri had contacted her about with one message: “Get rid of them.”

Healthy, ten-week old Chihuahuas were loaded into a crate in the Utah van next to Schnauzer, Shih Tzu, and Dachshund puppies. Their breeder had dogs for sale in the auction, and got a tip that if she had unwanted dogs, she could drop them off at the vans out back. Three gorgeous, young, goofy Bassett Hounds were piled in, then two ancient Shelties, two ten-year old Beagles, and a young, terrified Cockapoo and Shih Tzu. Colorado’s van had Pugs, mini Australian Shepherds, Yorkies, Boston Terriers, Bichons, more Beagles and Shelties, some dropped off that day and some gathered for rescues the previous day.

What was heart breaking was that these dogs—some of them puppies, some who had been used for nearly a decade by their owner, were viewed as completely worthless. It just doesn’t make sense to people who see value in all living creatures, and not the kind of value associated with dollar signs.

But what was wonderful about the dogs loaded into the two vans is that instead of being euthanized or otherwise disposed of, their owners (however uncaring they may have been) gave them to people who will spay or neuter them and place them in loving, appropriate, forever homes instead of breeding kennels.

The Road Home
When the auction finished, over 600 dogs were sold from one breeding kennel to another, relegated to more years of sitting in a cage, day in and day out to make puppies. To those who see dogs as pets, companions and family members, this is very sad. But over 100 dogs, a few from the auction and dozens of “breeder dumps” were tucked in their travel kennels, speeding West in vans headed for Utah and Colorado to begin their real lives, in homes.

Coming Soon
-Meet the breeders who sold dogs at the auction (they may be selling dogs at a store near you)
-Meet the dogs from the auction and the “breeder dump” dogs. Learn how you can help them
-Dog auctions: AKC, USDA, veterinarian approved and attended

Dog Auctions: What You Can Do
Auctions are an upshot of the multi-million dollar pet trade in America, and while the demand for purebred and “designer” puppies remains high, people in the industry will rise to meet that demand. Better laws can help regulate the industry and make small steps toward better conditions for breeding animals, but ultimately, people need to know the truth about where pet store and Internet puppies come from, and to be given better alternatives for adding a new pet to the family. Here is what you can do to help.

1.) Never, ever buy a puppy or other animal from a pet store or over the Internet

2.) Wonderful, healthy, adoptable dogs, cats, birds and small animals are waiting for homes in every shelter in the country. In fact, 25% of the dogs found in shelters are purebreds. Visit your local shelter or rescue group when looking for a new pet, or search for adoptable pets online at www.petfinder.com.

3.) Don’t support businesses that fuel the pet trade industry. If you care about the issue, shop only in stores that don’t sell live animals. Be sure to tell the manager of the store why they re losing your business

4.) Support legislation that regulates and reduces breeding of animals. Several websites are available to help people stay updated on legislation for all animal issues, including breeding:
-www.animallaw.com
-www.aldf.org
-www.saplonline.org

5.) Join the Best Friends Network and visit the Resources section of this community for more information and ways to get involved.

6) Be an advocate in your community. Tell your friends, families, and coworkers the truth about the pet trade and encourage them to explore other options.

Posted by the Best Friends Network Team

Comments

Posted February 13, 2008, 5:36PM by babs1171

Oh my lord....why did I read this article???? SO SAD!!!!! I think of Mabel at her foster mother's home and cry for these animals. Thank you for the education. I, of course, will be doing all in my power to stop these awful puppy mills and auctions. I would write more but can't see through the tears this article caused!

Posted February 29, 2008, 10:46PM by aussiemama

Folks, please pray for the rescues who attend these auctions and save the ones they can. I am planning to go to one next weekend and even if I can only save 2, that's what I will do. I am scared to death and afraid my heart will break as this will be my first. But as bad as it may be for me, I continue to tell myself, what horrors have these dogs been through. One of my dogs is from rescue and came from a bad breeder, but not an auction. He is 6 now and I've had him for 4 yrs. He is my heart, but he will always have issues. He knows I am his mama and trusts me with his life and I trust him with mine. I now do my own rescuing thru 2 different groups. Also, foster homes are desperately needed by all rescue groups, so if you can, volunteer to foster a dog or two in your home until they get their forever home. It is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. And yes, you can give them up, because there is always another just as wonderful waiting in line.

Posted February 20, 2008, 11:1AM by southerndogmom

I agree with Foxyroxie that this is an invisible industry that most people either don't know about or don't want to know about.

I'm working on a media project for one of the groups involved in the recent Missouri rescue. I showed it to a friend of mine in draft form just to get her input on it. She was flabbergasted. She is familiar with the phrase "puppy mill" but had no idea how large and pervasive an industry it really is and did not know any of the statistics recently published by BF about the number of animals produced in mills and the number euthanized each year.

I have to believe in my heart of hearts that if more people knew about this industry, it would have to change or cease to exist. More people would be asking, "how in the world is this legal?"

Posted February 14, 2008, 10:25AM by cattees

Gosh, mimi, I hope so. Unfortunately, as someone stated below, breeder dogs are "new" while shelter dogs are "used." Just imagine if we applied that thinking to the human population!

Posted February 15, 2008, 11:50AM by rmlamasney25

These millers are wreaking no less than a holocaust upon innocent animals. First they lead a life of slavery with no medical care under horrific conditions. Then they are brutally murdered. And their offspring because of overpopulation are killed in "shelters". How can we allow this?! One site, "Puppy Mills Breed Misery" has newspaper ads and even billboard ads, good to go, if you can afford to pay for them. I wish I could put one up on every road in every miller's town.

Posted February 16, 2008, 8:56PM by mimi

Mxipp, I can't begin to expres how much your posting helped me. I NEVER thought about how "150 years ago people in the US were breeding and selling other PEOPLE at auctions!" Doing that to companion animals seems so self-evidently wrong, I'd forgotten how recently we were that barbaric to other humans. Thank you incredibly for that reminder.

Posted February 19, 2008, 12:34PM by foxyroxie

The Media needs to pick up on this. Every once in awhile they will run a documentary about animal abuse but most Prime Time folks wont watch it "too upsetting". I was amazed how Michael Vick was brought down thanks to the the HSUS and the Media. I was amazed at the public outrage now about dog fighting. It seems to me the same could be done for these Auctions and Puppy Mills. If you really unpeel the layers it gets sicker and sicker. I don't think the general public is really aware of what is going on. I have loved dogs all my life and as an Army of One I rescued many dogs from the most disgusting pounds and animal control places. I never knew until a few years ago, with internet knowledge there are others like me, just doing what we can, and I know more folks would if they only knew!

Posted February 14, 2008, 1:59PM by MrHand

Unfortunatley Beagles go through Mills just as much as other breeds. They also have to face being killed if they don't perform well while hunting. No breed is safe from mills. Mills produce what the demand is. So if I had a guess Beagles will now be the soup de jour.
Let's all try to get the word out. There are Beagles in most shelters. When I was in VA Beach they had at least 8 sitting in animal control. We all have to do what we can to shut mills down. Even if that just means getting the word out that it is not ok.

Posted February 12, 2008, 9:58PM by mimi

Ok, this is baffling me: if a breeder has unwanted dogs, why wouldn't he just murder them instead of giving them away? Those hundred rescued dogs...if they go to homes, won't there be that many fewer homes likely to buy from the breeder? Why would someone heartless enough to do what they're doing act against their own economic interests? A special place in heaven for whoever persuaded them to do that.

Posted February 13, 2008, 12:45PM by mimi

I know, bogiedew, it's hard not to hate these people. The only thing that helps me is thinking that maybe in their last life they were Michael Vick, so actually what they're doing now is, for them, a giant leap forward. I know. It still stinks. The picture of the large, white, obviously terrified dog breaks my heart.

Posted February 12, 2008, 3:12PM by cattees

This is absolutely nauseating. Thank goodness there are some good folks out there willing to do the right thing. Congrats to the little ones who now have a chance at a real life!

Posted February 12, 2008, 9:31PM by joanmarie

Bless those people that were there to bid on, and save the dump dogs from the aucion.I only wish I could contribute... I would love to help save these poor dogs from a life of hell.

Posted February 12, 2008, 11:56PM by yvette

I'm stunned speechless - this is just horrifying. I am glad there is a safe place for the unwanted ones. Thank you to the person who negotiated/persuaded the breeders to agree to that.

Posted February 13, 2008, 1:55PM by rmlamasney25

Thank you very much for this article. I sent MDR a donation via paypal. Those folks are angels for saving these precious souls, though it means exposing themselves to this horrible world of millers. I hate them too. We'll keep fighting for the ones they couldn't save.

Posted February 13, 2008, 2:6PM by tkuss

Did anyone catch the part about the "preteen kids" carrying the dogs from the holding areas? What are kids doing at these auctions? Do these kids realize what is really going on? No one under 18 should be allowed anywhere near these places. The kids will become future breeders. If the kids can be educated now, there may be less possible breeders in the coming years.

Posted February 14, 2008, 12:51AM by mimi

cattees, that was a bright spot: because the beagle won Westminster, lots of people will want one. If an exotic breed had won, the breeding machine would crank up to meet the demand, but since it's a beagle, there are lots available at shelter prices, not breeder prices. And since a beagle is a more familiar dog, hopefully people are likelier to understand their needs before they adopt, resulting in fewer returns.

Posted February 15, 2008, 4:30PM by mxipp

Yes, it's all horrible, but let's all remember, 150 years ago people in the US were breeding and selling other PEOPLE at auctions! While it's hard to educate people and change minds and values, it is possible. And with BF and other groups working on the problem, I am confident that someday dealing in animals will be as abhorrent to everyone as slavery now is.

Posted February 20, 2008, 9:38PM by GrrrVillage

I too, am flabbergasted to become more deeply informed about "puppy mills". Not just backyard breeders, but actual huge operations like those described. Living in Texas, I am quite accustomed to seeing cattle and horse auctions advertised all the time. Never in my wildest dreams did I realize there was such a thing as dog auctions. My heart aches - and breaks - for these animals. While continuing to stay informed by reading the postings in this community, how else might I be kept up to date on auctions and rescue activities for these animals? We at Grrr Village Canine Rescue would like to help however we can.
Julie

Posted February 12, 2008, 5:29PM by cbarnes

Well it looks like our work has just begun on this issue. But like all the other issues we will come out victorious. Hang in there all you puppies and dogs we will start raising our voices and though it may take some time this fight will too be WON!!!!

Posted February 13, 2008, 7:28AM by bogiedew

I absolutely cannot stand this..I hate these people.

Posted February 13, 2008, 9:40AM by mcmars

Knowing that this stuff goes on just breaks your heart. Dumped dogs, no value, OMG! I'll just never understand it. Good luck to all the little guys that made it out and God bless those rescues that went to the auction to save them.

Posted February 13, 2008, 2:20PM by BossyBiscuit

I live in Missouri and this is so shameful. There is a good group outside of Lincoln, Nebraska called Hearts United for Animals who rescue mill dogs. They only attend close-out auctions for millers leaving the business. This way a miller won't be encouraged to breed more. You can find more information about them and links to some of their rescues at www.hua.org Check 'em out. I really admire their work and their policies.

Posted February 20, 2008, 2:53PM by cattees

Southerndogmom, You are right that most people don't know about puppy mills or auctions. Ever since I adopted Happy, a little Chi, from the BF VA puppy mill rescue, I tell her story wherever I go. I was - and am - amazed that 95% of the people never heard of either! And the "how is that legal?" question is the most often asked. It's now become my mission to educate whomever crosses my path. Puppy mills, auctions, Class B dealers and all other related "businesses" MUST BE SHUT DOWN.

Posted February 22, 2008, 4:17AM by isabel

I think that many people just don't want to know about the horrors of puppy mills and auctions. It is to upsetting and uncomfortable. I live in Ohio and the Amish puppy mills and auctions run rampant. Animals in this country are just not a priority nor is there very much protection for them. Thank goodness for people in this thread and this story who keep up the fight.

Posted April 13, 2008, 5:46PM by gotpups

There IS a way to put a crimp in these auctions.

It is called Activism.
Organize, demonstrate, show up with the local press.

This works.

If it did not, we would still be in Viet Nam, women would not be voting and our black brothers and sisters would be hanging from trees.

The heros of those movements did it WITHOUT the Internet.

Can you not understand what power you now have?

Here are the next auctions...
http://www.swkennelauction.com/index_files/UpcomingAuctions.htm

These folks dread the press..for good reason.
Their 'power' is the power of bad...

The real power...the power of good...is in your hands..
And in your hearts.

It only takes a bit of time and work...

Just do it....

Posted March 02, 2008, 4:33PM by mimi

Aussiemama, be strong and know that we are with you. Be strong for all these precious souls, and please post your experience, whatever it turns out to be.

Posted April 15, 2008, 5:9PM by mimi

Linda, how is your husky doing?

Posted March 12, 2008, 2:18PM by evansdsgn

I am involved with a Beagle Social Group here in Las Vegas and we got word last weekend of a van from a Missouri Puppy Mill coming through town with various dogs, including beagles. Our first beagle rescue was planned. We met the van late Sunday Night (along with the local golden retreiver rescue group) in the Palace Station parking lot and were shocked and appalled at what we saw....there had to be 60 dogs crammed into stacks and stacks of crates and cages inside a small cargo van (like a passenger van without the seats). We had no idea what we were getting into. The stench was horrible and most dogs were covered in their own feces. We fed and watered and cleaned up as many dogs as we could and took as many dogs as we could handle. At one point a female husky got loose and was hiding under a pickup truck. Nobody wanted to go help her, including the women driving the van, because "she's a biter" and that we should "let her go." I couldnt believe what I was hearing so I crawled under this pickup truck (mind you I'm not a small woman) and laid there with her until I could calmly slip a collar and leash around her neck. Then it took a while to coax her out. She got loose from the collar a little later and I had to do it all over again. By the time I got her the second time it was time to load up the dogs that were continuing on to California but I couldnt bear to put the husky back in that van and even though I promised my husband I wouldnt bring a dog home I loaded her into my car. This probably wasnt one of my smartest moments in my life but I feel that if she had gotten back into that van there was no telling where she'd end up, alive or dead. I now have a very traumatized, very skittish husky pacing around in my backyard...not eating and runs away if I get too close to her. I've been trying to get help for her from the local husky rescue but they are full and cant take her just yet. I'm worried that if I dont find help for her soon that she'll die and what I thought was a selfless act will be in vain. Any ideas, suggestions, advice on how to help her cope until I find her a home will be appreciated. Linda_S_Evans@hotmail.com

Posted February 13, 2008, 4:39PM by cattees

Southerdogmom, that vet may change his tune now that a Beagle won the Westminster Dog Show.

Have I mentioned lately...

Posted February 15, 2008, 9:13AM by southerndogmom

I don't want to divert too far from the purpose of this thread. The comment about the Beagle was made by the vet who runs the city shelter in the city where I work. The city had a video about animal services up on the city web site and I watched it, thinking how cool it would be for people to learn more about the work done by the city. The last couple of minutes of the video showed a Beagle being taken from his kennel and walked to an exam room. Workers prepared the needles while the dog was lifted onto a table. I had a meltdown. The next day I talked to the vet and confirmed that the dog in the video was perfectly healthy but had, in fact, been put to sleep. Her comment was "no one wants Beagles these days" like she was talking about a defunct model of car.

I won't type what I really think about the vet who is in a position of determining who lives and who dies and who has a responsibility for saving as many lives as she can through humane education programs, foster programs, spay/neuter, etc. When I tried to talk to her about Nathan Winograd and the concept of no-kill, I might as well have been talking to the wall. Or the Beagle she disposed of.

Posted February 13, 2008, 4:1PM by southerndogmom

I should have known better than to read this while I"m at work. Good Lord in Heaven.. this is just beyond my comprehension. "2007 Models"? I'm enraged and flabbergasted all at the same time. And I guess somewhere deep down in my rational brain, I realize that the people who engage in this "trade" don't lose a wink of sleep over what they do. It's a business. It's about money. It's about things with fur who very inconveniently have to be fed and then cleaned-up after when they pee and poop.

How did we get to this place in our so-called "evolved" society?

They may not know it, but I work with people who keep this industry alive. The people who truly believe that a dog from a breeder is somehow superior in temperament and health to that mutt on death row at the local shelter who must obviously be there because of being damaged goods. (Their thought process, not mine). That mutt who may not make it through the day because, "no one is interested in Beagles these days." (The words of the vet who runs our city shelter, not mine.)

Heavy sigh. I know we change this by small steps but it just seems so incredibly sad that this is tolerated in our society.